“All right, slow down. You can research everything and anything you like tomorrow. Now, I think I need to take you back to the hotel and put you to bed before your brain short-circuits and your head explodes.” Valerie giggled at Alec’s confused expression.
“Can that really happen?” he asked with a smile, playing along.
“No, but I think you’ll have trouble sleeping tonight. You’re on overload, and your mind will need to process everything you’ve seen and heard.” Valerie knew she’d have trouble sleeping tonight. She was on overload herself, no longer used to the pace of life in the twenty-first century.
“We don’t have to go to sleep,” Alec suggested sheepishly.
“Oh no, you are not flipping channels all night,” Valerie replied, seeing his disappointed face. “But it would be nice to make love in the twenty-first century.”
Alec just smiled, the idea appealing to his sense of adventure.
November 1777
Virginia
Chapter 77
The fire crackled in the hearth, filling the room with a warm glow and the pleasant smell of burning wood. The warmth was welcome, the November night crisp and chilly beyond the windows, the moon already riding high in the pitch-black sky strewn with stars. The people around the table were squeezed together with barely enough room to move their arms, but the happiness on their faces was obvious to anyone who cared to look. A hush fell over the table as John Mallory rose to his feet, a cup of beer in his raised hand. He slowly looked around the table, his eyes moving slowly from person to person, filling with unshed tears.
“Two months ago, when Hannah and I heard of General Washington’s defeat at Brandywine, we nearly went mad with worry, fearing that people we loved most in the world were lost to us forever. With Sam, Abbie and Finn behind enemy lines, and Jonah on the battlefield, we stood to lose more than half our family, but God has been kind to us and blessed us in ways we never expected. Today, as we celebrate the marriage of Susanna and Sam, await the birth of our first grandchild, and rejoice at seeing Jonah alive and whole, our cup overflows, and we are so grateful.” Mr. Mallory looked around the table once again, smiling at Susanna and Sam who were seated in the middle, their faces glowing in the light of the fire.
“Sam and Susanna, Hannah and I, as well as the children, wish you a lifetime of love and joy, and we are so glad that Sam, with his penchant for getting wounded, found a woman who has some medical skill.” Everyone burst out laughing, but Mr. Mallory wasn’t finished.
“Susanna, there’s a reason why we asked you to stay with Martha for the past few weeks, and it wasn’t just for the sake of propriety. We were working on your wedding surprise, and it’s finished and waiting for you. Sam, take your bride home.”
“Home?” Susanna asked, her mouth open with shock. “But this was to be our home.”
“My dear, as much as we’d like you both to stay with us, this house is bursting at the seams, and we’ve built you a home of your own. It’s not much, but it will be enough for two — or three. We can always build an addition later. Now, if it were my wedding night, I’d been out the door an hour ago.” Mr. Mallory chuckled as Sam pulled Susanna to her feet, already putting a shawl around her shoulders and grinning at his father.
“I don’t need to be told twice,” he said, winking at his father. “Goodnight to you all.”
“Goodnight, and thank you,” Susanna called over her shoulder as Sam pushed her out the door and into the darkness of the night.
Susanna pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, leaning into Sam as they walked toward their new home. He was vibrating with happiness, but Susanna suddenly felt a lump in her throat, the tears sliding down her cheeks and drying in the cool night air.
“Sue, what is it?” Sam asked, stopping short and taking her by the shoulders. “Aren’t you happy? I thought you’d be so pleased.” He looked hurt and confused, his eyes almost black in the darkness as he studied her face.
“I am happy,” Susanna sobbed. “I’ve never been so happy in my life.”
“So these are tears of joy, are they?” he asked gently, wiping her cheeks and pulling her closer. She just nodded into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and holding on for dear life.
“Two months ago I was sleepwalking through my days, thinking that the best life had to offer wasn’t meant for me. I had no inkling that you were about to walk into my life and change everything. I never imagined that a heart can feel so much love and joy.”
“Well, strictly speaking, I didn’t walk into your life, I was carried, but I’ve never been a stickler for detail,” Sam chuckled as he gazed down at her upturned face. “I thought I was fairly happy until the day I watched you walk into that ward. I had no idea what happiness was until you so brazenly asked to come with me and be my mistress.”
“I never actually used that word,” Susanna replied, blushing in the darkness.
“No, but you were willing to lie with me without the benefit of marriage because you were so madly in love. You wouldn’t be the first, my dear,” Sam teased.
“Oh, you insufferable man,” Susanna giggled, smacking Sam with her palm. “I suppose I should be grateful that you made an honest woman out of me.”
Sam leaned down, kissing her tenderly, his heart pounding against her chest. “Not like anyone else would have you.”
Sam burst out laughing at Susanna’s expression of outrage, grabbing her wrists before she hit him again. “Now, stop glaring at me and take me home, Mrs. Mallory. I believe we have some unfinished business, you and I.”
**
Susanna gazed out the window, watching as the inky blackness of night gave way to the pearly light of dawn, the stars that had been so bright the night before, fading until they disappeared from sight altogether. Soon the first rays of the sun would paint the horizon in all the glorious colors of a fall sunrise, and a new day would begin, the first day of her married life. Susanna snuggled closer to Sam, enjoying the feel of his body against hers, the coarse hair on his legs a new sensation for a woman who’d only known silk against her skin. She thought she had the general idea of what happened between men and women in bed, but last night had been an eye-opener. Susanna smiled like a cat that swallowed a canary, torn between shame and another surge of desire. When she’d envisioned their wedding night, it was all very proper and quick, but what happened last night was anything but. She had no idea that her body was capable of such sensations, or that she would ever allow a man to do the things Sam had done. She blushed furiously, quietly laughing at herself. What a naïve fool she’d been.
Susanna’s analysis was interrupted by Sam, who slid beneath the covers and pushed her legs apart, his tongue banishing all coherent thought from Susanna’s mind.
November 1624
England
Chapter 78
Kit stretched luxuriously, enjoying the blissful quiet of Buckingham’s rooms. He never slept during the day unless he was ill, but George liked to lie down in the middle of the afternoon, especially after a tryst. He called it a “siesta”, a word he’d learned in Madrid while trying to negotiate a marriage between the son of the king and Maria Anna of Spain. He was lying at Kit’s side, his eyes fixed on the Roman warrior, his hand idly playing with a curl. His hair had gotten longer over the past few months, the riot of dark curls fanned on the pillow and intertwined with Kit’s own. George’s generous lips were pursed, a look of worry on his face.
“You seem preoccupied, George,” Kit said, rolling onto his side and watching Buckingham.
“I was just thinking about the siege of Breda. It’s been going on for months now, and I think the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Breda will fall to the Spanish. Now that they have dispossessed Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart, the war with Spain will finally become a reality. My dear James is not pleased with me for supporting his son in Parliament, but he can’t ignore the fact that his own daughter has suffered at the hands of the Spanish. We must form an alliance with the D
utch and mount an expedition. I think Cadiz might be a likely target.” Buckingham suddenly smiled, putting his hands behind his head. “But I promised that we wouldn’t talk politics when away from the Privy Council, and I just broke that promise.” He rolled onto his side to face Kit, a strange expression on his face.
“Christopher, there’s something I want to say to you.” Buckingham reached out a hand and cupped Kit’s cheek, his eyes growing moist. “I owe you an apology, and it’s long overdue. You see, I’m a man who falls in lust often, but love doesn’t come easily to me. I suppose I’m too jaded for my own good. It came as a shock when I found myself wanting you so desperately, and I blackmailed and manipulated you to get you into my bed. I thought that I could make you love me.”
“George,” Kit began, but Buckingham put a finger over his lips.
“Let me finish, Christopher. I’ve watched you fight your revulsion for months, submitting to me just to protect your family, and I hated myself for hurting you. You see, I love you. I love you in a way that a man loves a woman and wants to make her his for life. I want to spend my life with you, but I know it’s impossible, especially since I’m beloved by our king and not free to give my affection elsewhere, and you love your wife. I release you, Christopher. I swear that I will never summon you again or make you fear for your family’s safety. Go now, before I change my mind.”
Kit opened his mouth to reply, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. “Thank you, George,” was all he managed as he pulled on his clothes and left the room, closing the door softly behind him, nearly running down the corridor before George had a chance to summon him back. He supposed he should go home, but he needed a little time, so he borrowed a horse from the stable and headed out of the city, needing a good gallop to clear his head.
The November afternoon was lovely, the air crisp and fresh, the trees a riot of color all around him as he trotted toward Hyde Park. Some trees had already begun to shed, the colorful leaves twirling gently on the breeze as they floated toward the cold earth and blanketed it with their glory, before beginning to dry up and rot into the soil. Hyde Park used to be a royal deer hunting ground, but James opened up the park to nobility, allowing them to enjoy its splendor on fine days. Kit hoped he wouldn’t encounter anyone he knew, for he just needed time alone, something he rarely got these days. The park was shady and cool, and pleasantly deserted at that time of the afternoon. Kit saw a rider in the distance, but he was headed in the opposite direction toward the city of London. Glorious birdsong filled the air, and the breeze stirred the leaves above Kit’s head, shafts of sunlight striping the narrow path into the woods.
Kit cantered along, trying to understand what he was feeling. He should have been thrilled at finally being free of Buckingham, if he were indeed free and this wasn’t some ploy of George’s to win his love, but he felt strangely bittersweet. He had to admit that he’d despised the man a few months ago, but what he felt for him now was a kind of pity. Beneath the charming and confident exterior, there lay a tortured soul who just wanted to be loved and live life in a way that was forbidden to him by God and man. Kit wasn’t sure if Buckingham truly loved him, but he was sure of his desperate need for intimacy and acceptance. Kit had grown used to the physical aspect of their relationship, but it was Buckingham’s emotional need of him that kept him on edge, bringing forth feelings he never expected. He had to admit that although he would have never chosen to be Buckingham’s lover, he actually liked the man, and they might have been great friends had they been on equal footing and not master and slave. But the slave had become the master, and now he was free.
Kit dug his heels into the horse’s flanks, forcing it into a gallop and tearing through the deserted woods. He turned his face into the wind, enjoying the feeling of freedom that he hadn’t felt since Buckingham first singled him out, an overwhelming feeling of joy filling his soul. If he were honest with himself, he’d admit that Buckingham had wormed his way not only into his bed, but his heart, but Kit had no intention of being honest, not today. He was free at last; his family was safe, and that was all that mattered.
April 1778
Virginia
Chapter 79
Abbie waddled out of the house to meet Finn and his parents in the yard. She’d seen them walking toward the house from the window as she dressed for the day. They had a strange way of just showing up, and never writing letters, but she didn’t mind. She liked them immensely and Finn always seemed more whole somehow when they were visiting. They’d come just after Christmas and were now back for the birth of the baby. Abbie asked Finn several times where his parents lived or why they never wrote, but Finn seemed evasive and she eventually gave up, not wanting to upset him. It didn’t matter.
Abbie took a deep breath of the crisp April air, happy that spring had come at last. It had been a long, hard winter, and the budding trees and shoots of grass under her feet made her happy. Everything around them was bursting with new life as was her body. The baby kicked around the clock, refusing to allow its poor mother any rest. Abbie spent the whole night either getting up to use the pot, or trying to find a comfortable position. She was exhausted and cranky, not to mention scared of the upcoming birth, but the thought of finally meeting the occupant of her stomach filled her with longing, eager to see the little face at last and hold the baby in her arms. She thanked God every day for being alive and well, knowing full well that things could have been very different.
Abbie walked into Alec’s embrace, her belly making it awkward to give him a hug. He held her at arm’s length, smiling at the size of her. “Maybe you’re carrying twins. Wouldn’t that be something?” He patted Finn on the shoulder, seeing the shocked look on his son’s face. “Haven’t considered that, have you?”
“Alec, stop scaring them. One healthy baby will be more than enough. Abbie, how’s Sam?” Valerie asked, putting her arm around her daughter-in-law and walking her back to the house. Abbie seemed tired and probably needed to sit down.
“Sam’s well. He’s still working for the Revolution, but he’s at home more now since Susanna is due in a few months. I don’t know which one of them is more anxious. She’s written to her father and had a letter back. He’s having some difficulty accepting a rebel as a son-in-law, but he’s starting to come around. Maybe some day he can come and visit her. I know that would make her extremely happy.” Susanna missed her father terribly, wishing she would have at least said goodbye in person. She’d written several letters before finally getting a terse reply, but it was a start. The war would end eventually, and maybe father and daughter could be reunited.
“And how’s everyone else?”
“Everyone is well. Gil was wounded a few months ago, but Martha is taking care of him and driving him to distraction, so I think he’ll be on his feet again soon,” confided Abbie with a grin. “Jonah had furlough last month. He’s changed so much since joining the Continental Army. His voice is so deep now, I keep thinking it’s Pa talking, and it’s actually Jonah. He’s been promoted to captain, so he’s over the moon. We pray for his safety every day. And the little ones are excited to meet their new niece or nephew. I’m very excited myself,” Abbie added shyly, her hand on her belly.
“I can’t wait,” Valerie said, her heart squeezing at the thought of Louisa’s baby. It would be born soon as well, maybe as early as next month. She hoped Lou would send them a letter letting them know that all was well, and tell them something of the grandchild they would never see.
Chapter 80
Finn nearly jumped out of his skin as another scream tore through the house, his face pale and taut. Both Alec and John Mallory put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him back down, but Finn wouldn’t stay put.
“I can’t take it,” he moaned. “She’s in such pain. I’m scared for her.” He looked at the older men for support, helpless and frightened, but they seemed calm.
“Mrs. Baker knows what she’s doing, son. She’s delivered more than half the children in this parish.
It’s normal to be in pain, but it will be over soon. Now sit down and have another drink.” Mr. Mallory poured Finn another cup of ale, but he pushed it away, his hands shaking with anxiety. Abbie had been in labor since early morning, and it was nearly dusk now, the sun hanging just above the tree line for a few minutes before sinking below the horizon.
“Why don’t we go for a walk?” Alec suggested, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet. “Maybe you’ll be a father by the time we get back.” Finn didn’t protest. He joined his father outside, walking away from the house and toward the stile where he could no longer hear Abbie’s screams.
“Did Mama suffer like that when I was born?” he asked suddenly.
“Yes she did, and even worse with Louisa. It’s a woman’s lot, son. There’s nothing you can do no matter how much you want to take the pain onto yourself. Just pray that everything will be well, and you’ll have a healthy baby. Abbie is young and strong. She’ll be all right.”
Alec felt bad lying to Finn, but he needed to reassure the poor boy. Many young, healthy women died in childbirth, but he prayed that Abbie wouldn’t be one of them and that she would be delivered soon. Valerie was in the room with Mrs. Baker and Hannah Mallory at Abbie’s request, but Finn hadn’t been allowed to stay. The formidable Mrs. Baker pushed him out the door, bidding him to stay out of her way until the babe was born.
“Dad, how is Louisa? Have you had any word?” Finn was aware of what happened in London, but he still hoped for a reconciliation between his parents and sister. He knew that, deep down, his parents loved her and thought of her every day, praying that she was all right.
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